A team of 50 refugees will compete at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

The International Olympic Committee announced that a contingent of at least 50 refugees will be allowed to compete for the second time in Olympic history, Global Citizen has reported.

“In an ideal world, we would not need to have a refugee team at the Olympic Games,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a press release. “But, unfortunately, the reasons why we first created a Refugee Olympic Team before the Olympic Games Rio 2016 continue to persist,” he said.

“We will do our utmost to welcome refugee athletes and give them a home and a flag in the Olympic Village in Tokyo with all the Olympic athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees.”

He added that it was a continuation of an “exciting, human and Olympic journey” which reminds that refugees are “not forgotten”.

The committee has picked 50 athletes and the final team will be announced leading up to the games.

In 2016, the 10-member refugee team was prepared in a hurry due to time constraints. They competed in running, swimming, and judo.